13 'The OC' Moments Where Taylor Townsend Proved She Was Seriously The Best

Taylor Townsend started off on the wrong foot with pretty much every character on The O.C., but things quickly changed. Despite beginning the show as the resident over-achiever wearing polo shirts, pastel sweaters, and pearls, Taylor Townsend had some of the best moments on The O.C.of all the characters, because she turned out to be completely different from what everyone expected of her.

It's a great lesson in how writing complex female characters can create exciting new storylines in TV shows. Taylor could have easily continued as a one-note stereotype or an uptight replica of Election's Tracy Flick, but Seth, Summer, Ryan, and even Marissa quickly learned that she had a lot more depth to her than being a "goody two shoes." What Taylor ended up becoming was a close friend of Summer's, and even a love interest for Ryan. She was far from a "replacement" Marissa, though, because even though Taylor also had a tumultuous relationship with her mom like Marissa did, she was a completely original character.

So take a good look back at some of Taylor Townsend's most memorable moments on the show, because she really did bring so much to the table during The O.C.'s later seasons.

1When She Stepped In For Marissa As Social Chair

2And When She Battled Summer For Social Chair

Even if you were rooting against Taylor, you have to admit that her rivalry with Summer added a lot of humor to the show. Plus, it led to the Summer and Taylor's friendship, and all of their passive aggressive remarks to each other just proved that the two were a match made in heaven.

6When She Made Up With Her Mom

The earthquake that literally shook up everyone's lives led to Taylor and her mom Veronica's long-overdue heart to heart. Since Veronica was so despicable to Taylor, it was nice to see them finally address their relationship's issues.

10When She Revealed Her Dating Requirements

11When She Lied About Having An Affair So She Could Get Divorced

Taylor wanted to get divorced so badly that she resorted to saying she had an affair with Ryan, and it resulted in a hilarious moment when Ryan was asked to corroborate. It may not have been the most moral thing to do, but none of the characters on The O.C. were exactly role models.

12When She Helped Sandy Punish A Man Committing Sexual Assault

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Back in her first appearances on The O.C., Taylor was having relations with Dean Hess. Summer and Cohen eventually convince her to help them blackmail the dean — so Ryan could return to school. While the Cohens could have punished the dean without leveraging Ryan, the way that Taylor handled the situation proved how great she could be.

13When She Was Summer's Maid Of Honor

Losing Marissa left Summer heartbroken, but knowing that Taylor was there to stand in as her BFF made it all so much better. Seeing Taylor at the alter next to Summer at Summer and Seth's wedding warmed everyone's hearts.